TRENTON — Though Trenton Police Director Ralph Rivera Jr. is required by city ordinance to live in Trenton, he retains his home in Hackensack and it is unclear whether he has a residence in the capital city.

But keeping the house up north may be an advantage for Rivera if, as is rumored, he considers becoming that Bergen County city’s new police director.

Hackensack is still recovering from a wide-ranging corruption scandal that led to Police Chief Ken Zisa’s conviction on fraud and misconduct charges earlier this year. Trying to start anew, the Hackensack City Council unanimously approved an ordinance this Tuesday that would bring a civilian police director into their town.

Rivera could not be reached for comment yesterday, but Hackensack Councilman John Labrosse said Rivera’s name has been circulated as a favorite for the police director appointment for better than a year.

“I’ve heard it myself, the rumor,” Labrosse said yesterday. “His name’s come up a couple of times.”

Hackensack City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono, who will have the final say on any police director appointment, said Thursday he does not have a short list of names for the job, but knows and has a favorable opinion of Rivera.

“I like Ralph, I always did,” Lo Iacono said. “He was an undersheriff in Bergen County … he’s a Hackensack guy.”

He said Rivera has not reached out to him about the job.

“No one has, but it’s too early in the process,” he said.

Rivera, a 33-year law enforcement veteran, spent a career with the New Jersey State Police before a six-year stint as undersheriff. Once appointed to be Trenton’s police director April 5 after a lengthy vetting process run by the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA), he came under an ordinance that requires him to live in Trenton. Yet he has retained his Hackensack home, and given no direct indication he is renting or shopping for a house in the capital city.

During a meeting Thursday, Councilman George Muschal said the city business administrator and clerk had told him Rivera has obtained a place in Trenton.

“However, they didn’t respond with an address,” he said Friday evening. “As of right now, at 5:30 p.m., council is waiting to find out where he moved in the city and we never got any response from our clerk.”

Muschal and Rivera had a fiery exchange in city council chambers May 15 after two police officers in an SUV were shot at. Criticizing Rivera for the length of time it took him to get into the city and take charge, Muschal yelled that it took Rivera two hours to arrive.

“I live one hour and five minutes away,” Rivera shot back.

The majority of department directors live or have moved to Trenton since their appointments. Public Works Director Luis Mollinedo, who was appointed Aug. 16, is preparing to buy a house in the city, and his wife and young son occasionally accompany him to council meetings.

“That shows you that he’s going to put revenue into the city, he’s not just taking out money,” Muschal said. “He’s happy with the city, he wants the city to move forward, I believe in my heart he wants to move the city forward.”

The 70-mile commute Rivera makes in his department-issued SUV also irks Muschal, a former city cop. The maintenance for the SUV and gas is paid for by the city.

“It’s a perk, on the taxpayers’ expense, and the taxpayers can’t afford to pay anything more,” he said.

The Trenton Police Department spent nearly two years under four acting directors appointed by Mayor Tony Mack until Rivera arrived. For that reason, Councilwoman Kathy McBride said she hopes for a heads-up from Rivera if he does choose to seek employment elsewhere.

“I would just hope he would let us know,” McBride said. “Let the council know and the mayor and the business administrator so that would give us an opportunity to look for a replacement.”

Public records show Rivera has resided in Bergen County for more than 30 years and in Hackensack for six. In testimony before the state’s Apportionment Commission in March 2011, Rivera said he had been elected to positions within the Bergen County Democratic Committee, including municipal chairman in Ridgefield Park and two terms as district chairman for the 37th Legislative District.

From 1994 to 2002, one of the two Assembly seats in that district was held by Ken Zisa. Rivera’s ties to Zisa could be an issue if he seeks the Hackensack job, Labrosse said.

“I read his credentials, he’s got great credentials,” said Labrosse. But “I couldn’t recommend anyone who was close to the clan.”